So your league has gotten wiser with time and has decided to switch to a Superflex format. Can’t blame ya! Superflex leagues are becoming more popular and while they aren’t the norm just yet, they’re definitely a more interesting option for shallower leagues and maybe even 12-team formats. If you’re new to Superflex leagues, no worries this is a great place to get a quick breakdown on draft strategies and when to take your quarterback… Or quarterbacks? I’ll explain in due time…

 

Know Your League Rules

I’m going to be super quick with this because: 1. Fantasy Alarm has an annual draft guide article about knowing your league rules and we update it year in and year out so there’s nothing I can’t cover that Howard’s piece hasn’t already mentioned. Know your rules. Know when waivers process. Know when your trade deadline is. Put all these important dates as reminders in your phone. Know the ins and outs of your league because there’s an advantage to knowing the most about your league. And 2. Superflex leagues also have unique roster compositions because you have the option of starting two quarterbacks. But in some Superflex leagues you should pay attention to whether or not you have to start a…

 

Tight End

This is a nice little segue. Before I dive into quarterbacks, I’ll address the tight end position. Personally, I don’t like this format but in a few Superflex leagues I’ve participated in they’ve included the tight end position in the Superflex slot. Which means they didn’t have a mandatory “TE” only slot. Instead that spot was filled with a third wide receiver slot or a RB/WR flex spot. So if you aren’t required to start a tight end every week, I might just recommend fading the position altogether. In looking at last year’s tight ends only nine averaged over ten points per week in PPR formats. And of those nine, six played 14 or more games. And Rob Gronkowski was one of the nine to average double-digit points in PPR formats, but he missed three games last year and he’s currently retired.

But still there are guys like Travis Kelce , Zach Ertz , and George Kittle that are elite options at tight end. Those three averaged over 16 PPR points per game last season. And if I’m being completely objective, they averaged more than some quarterbacks last year. However, by and large, tight end is very thin at the top. Sure if you draft Kelce you’re getting a lot of production and the top tight end. However, at worst, that’ll cost you a second-round pick. And if you aren’t required to start a tight end you can wait a few rounds and draft your second quarterback who could deliver just as much fantasy production. So in that second round you could draft a running back or wide receiver and fill those positions of need. Again, this is only if you don’t need to start a tight end. If you do have to start a tight end then you can aim for one of the top three if that’s your preference. If you miss out on the elite guys, you can target O.J. Howard , Hunter Henry , Evan Engram , or even David Njoku a few rounds later. You can still get two solid quarterbacks beforehand and fill out your running backs and wide receivers.

 

Drafting Your Quarterbacks

In a standard fantasy football league where you only have to start one, it’s not as important and you can wait to draft at that position. In a Superflex league, quarterback gains a ton of importance. And why not? In terms of overall points last year, 11 quarterbacks finished in the top 25 of all fantasy players in PPR formats. That number increases to 14 if you look at the top 30 players. Simply enough the objective is to score as many points as possible, so why not target the position that yields 18-24 points per week? Going back to “knowing you league rules” if it’s a six-point per passing touchdown league, then quarterbacks get another big bump.

Now it’s easy to preach that prioritizing quarterbacks is the way to go, but I’ll look to provide some visuals on how the Superflex/Two-Quarterback format impacts ADP. (Note: The following numbers are based of two-quarterback ADP from Fantasy Football Calculator. Two-QB leagues provide the most similar ADP results for Superflex draft)

1-QB, 12-team PPR ADP

2-QB, 12-team PPR ADP

  1. Patrick Mahomes KC (30.9 overall)

1. Patrick Mahomes KC (4.9 overall)

  1. Andrew Luck IND (47.4)

       2. Andrew Luck IND (10.6)

  1. Aaron Rodgers GB (52.6)

       3. Deshaun Watson HOU (15.8)

  1. Deshaun Watson HOU (59.8)

       4. Aaron Rodgers GB (16.9)

  1. Baker Mayfield CLE (64.6)

       5. Baker Mayfield CLE (19.9)

  1. Matt Ryan ATL (71.8)

       6. Matt Ryan ATL (25.4)

  1. Drew Brees NO (76.2)

       7. Russell Wilson SEA (28.9)

  1. Carson Wentz PHI (82.2)

       8. Drew Brees NO (31.8)

  1. Russell Wilson SEA (86.6)

       9. Carson Wentz PHI (37.1)

  1. Kyler Murray ARI (90.5)

       10. Cam Newton CAR (42.7)

  1. Cam Newton CAR (99.7)

       11. Jared Goff LAR (45.3)

  1. Jared Goff LAR(105.6)

       12. Ben Roethlisberger PIT (52.9)

  1. Jameis Winston TB (115.1)

       13. Jameis Winston TB (53.6)

  1. Ben Roethlisberger PIT (116.3)

       14.Jimmy Garoppolo SF (58.9)

  1. Philip Rivers LAC (117.5)

       15. Philip Rivers LAC (59.0)

  1. Tom Brady NE (123.8)

       16. Mitchell Trubisky CHI (60.5)

  1. Dak Prescott DAL (129.0)

       17. Tom Brady NE (65.8)

  1. Jimmy Garoppolo SF (134.4)

       18. Dak Prescott DAL (66.4)

  1. Josh Allen BUF (137.6)

       19. Kyler Murray ARI (68.7)

  1. Kirk Cousins MIN (146.5)

       20. Kirk Cousins MIN (73.2)

So what jumps out at you first and foremost is the fact that quarterback ADP jumps drastically in a two-quarterback format, but this also applies to Superflex drafts where you also start two quarterbacks. Last year’s MVP, Patrick Mahomes , is a mid-third round pick in 12-team leagues where you start one quarterback. His ADP skyrockets to fifth overall in two-quarterback/Superflex formats. As does the ADP for other quarterbacks on this list. And it makes sense. Quarterbacks week in and week out will average more than other positions. So naturally you’ll want to target the highest scoring players in a Superflex format since they provide a higher floor, and why not try and get two of the best quarterbacks as well? I definitely recommend keeping an eye on ADP as the season progresses. It’s still only June and training camps haven’t opened up yet. Mock drafts also change drastically as the season approaches so the final ADP results could vary from the table above.

Another question that needs to be addressed is “How many quarterbacks should I draft in a Superflex league?” The answer depends on a few factors: 1. How many teams are in your league? 2. How deep are your rosters? And 3. Is there a maximum number of quarterbacks you’re allowed to own? The number of teams in your league determines how the draft will go as well as the availability of quarterbacks on your waiver wire. In a ten-team league you can possibly wait just a little bit longer to draft your second quarterback because there will likely be more/better quarterbacks available with fewer teams drafting. In a 12-team league you should be a little more aggressive drafting your second quarterback. It’s not out of the ordinary to have two quarterbacks locked up through six rounds of a 12-team Superflex league.

The second and third factors tie in together a little bit. If you have deeper rosters and you’re allowed to own three quarterbacks, by all means go ahead. This gives you depth at the position in the event you lose a quarterback to injury (like Jimmy Garoppolo ) or if one of your drafted quarterbacks just disappoints (like Kirk Cousins ). Additionally, this also covers you during bye weeks and still lets you play two quarterbacks if one is not playing that week. Another reason I like drafting three quarterbacks is because it puts other teams in a bind. There are 32 starting quarterbacks in a full week with no byes, and not all of them are good enough to be started. If you can afford to draft three quarterbacks in a 12-team league you’ll eventually screw over a couple other teams who will either roster only two quarterbacks or have to go dumpster diving at the position. Again, this is largely recommended in leagues with deeper rosters and if you can own three quarterbacks. Realistically, in a Superflex league there might only be 25-28 startable quarterbacks, and I’m being generous with that number. If you can own a trio of quarterbacks you’re leaving 22-25 quarterbacks (at best) for the other 11 teams to fight over.

 

Quarterbacks to Target

Currently I’m operating under the assumption I won’t be able to get Patrick Mahomes anywhere. His ADP is just too high and I would prefer to lock up a running back or wide receiver with my first pick. I’m more likely to take a quarterback with my second or third pick. Mahomes was great last year, but I’m less inclined to draft him if Tyreek Hill has to miss some time. But if Mahomes is your guy then grab him. Andrew Luck , Aaron Rodgers , Deshaun Watson , and Baker Mayfield are all great options to target early on as well. But when looking at your second or third quarterbacks, take a look at some of these players as your second or third quarterback options.

Philip Rivers LAC – Philip Rivers seems to be flying under the radar in terms of ADP and it could be that he burned fantasy owners in a crucial week 16 matchup last year against the Ravens. But he still finished the season with over 4,300 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. He still has a good offensive line blocking for him and he has weapons at his disposal like Melvin Gordon , Keenan Allen , Hunter Henry , and Mike Williams who flashed signs of greatness at times last year. Rivers is the kind of guy you should feel okay about locking in as your second quarterback in the fifth round.

Jimmy Garoppolo SF – I think he’s flying under the radar because of the season-ending injury he suffered last year. But the offensive line proved to be pretty reliable for San Francisco last season. Jimmy G’s injury was his own doing as he would’ve avoided disaster if he just ran out of bounds. Instead he opted to fight for a few more yards early last season against the Chiefs and ended up with a torn ACL. The good news is the injury occurred early in the season so he’ll be ready in time to start this year and he likely won’t make the same mistake twice. He seemed to have a solid grasp of Kyle Shanahan’s offense and, like Rivers, he has solid weapons at his disposal. He is also a fine second quarterback option despite last year’s injury.

Josh Allen BUF – Josh Allen is currently being drafted as the 21st quarterback off the board in two-quarterback formats. He’s a high risk, high reward player as we saw last year who was surprisingly good with his legs. He rushed for 631 yards last year and found the end zone eight times with his legs. From Weeks 12-17 he was arguably a top five fantasy quarterback, but that comes with the benefit of a big Week 17 performance that was largely irrelevant. If he can repeat the production with his legs he’s a pretty good option to be your third quarterback. He didn’t reach 250 passing yards in a single game largely because of his well-documented accuracy issues, but heading into his sophomore season it’s possible he improves.

Kyler Murray ARI – If you look at the table above you’ll notice Murray is currently the tenth quarterback off the board in one-quarterback leagues. For whatever reason in two-quarterback/Superflex leagues he’s the 19th quarterback off the board. There’s plenty of optimism surrounding the first overall pick from April’s draft. He’s quick and elusive, can run the ball well, and he has decent weapons at his disposal. However, his offensive line is nothing to write home about, so he may be scrambling a little more than normal. But we’ve seen rookie quarterbacks come in and make an impact in recent years and with a young, innovative head coach calling the plays, Murray could be a surprise fantasy asset.

Lamar Jackson BAL – Laugh all you want, but if he runs as much as he did last season he can make up for being a subpar passer by simply using his legs. Over his last seven games he totaled 556 rushing yards with four touchdowns on the ground. That’s about 75-80 fantasy points alone in a seven-game span just with his legs. If he can simply get between 125-200 passing yards then he’ll return decent fantasy value if Baltimore continues to let him run. The concern is that defenses will be keying in on him. When he became the starter last year in Baltimore, defenses weren’t as keen to focus on Jackson, but now it’s obvious he requires work as a passer and they will plan for him to run.

 

The Rest of Your Roster

For the most part, nothing really changes with the rest of your team. Superflex formats mostly impact your draft strategy for quarterback and tight end. You should still wait until the end of the draft to take your defense/special team unit and kicker (gross). The only difference between drafting running backs and wide receivers is that I would prioritize running backs over wide receivers. And by that I don’t mean to draft three-to-four running backs and then address your wide receivers. If you can get a stud running back and stud wide receiver, go that route. But prioritize running back depth over wide receiver depth. Running backs are crucial to fantasy football success and unfortunately, they’re also very injury prone so get some solid options while you can. For wide receivers, you should feel okay locking in a couple top 40 receivers after getting a top 12 wideout. Getting guys in the sixth-or-seventh round (or later) like Dante Pettis , Robby Anderson , N’Keal Harry, Curtis Samuel , or Marquez Valdez-Scantling can help round out your wide receiver depth and current ADP has those players going in the sixth round or later.

 

Fantasy Football Evolution

Each year when writing up the Superflex draft guide piece I always give a shoutout to Fantasy Football Evolution. It’s a season-long fantasy football contest that utilizes Superflex formats in its roster composition. You actually have the option of starting three quarterbacks each week in FFE. Ultimately the grand prize is $25,000 and these drafts provide good practice for Superflex leagues and it’s quite surprising how fast quarterbacks go because the more quarterbacks you own, the better off you’ll be. There will be more to come on Fantasy Football Evolution in a few articles down the line so keep an eye out. If you want to get a head start on learning about their scoring and the overall format of their three-stage contest then check out their website right here!